The Natick Community Gardens virtual lecture series is made possible by generous donations from Needham Bank, the Friends of the Bacon Free Library, and the Friends of the Morse Institute Library.
Each of these programs will be one-hour long and will be held over Zoom meeting. Please register for each program that interests you, in order to receive the Zoom link.
You’ll notice that a few events are missing details. Please check back, as we will update this page as soon as the information is available.
Complete list of programs
- Thursday, March 3rd: Growing from seed with Gretel Anspach
- Wednesday, March 9th: Lifecycle of seeds with Blackstone Valley Veggie Gardens
- Wednesday, March 23rd: Preparing the soil for gardening with Gretel Anspach
- Thursday, April 7th: Companion planting & design
- Thursday, April 21st: TBO (try to be organic) gardening with Tony Bonanno
- Thursday, May 12th: Growing and donating produce with Backyard Growers
- Thursday, May 26th: Tomato growing
- Thursday, June 2nd: Metrowest Community Gardens conference
- Thursday, June 23rd: Backyard composting and our community gardens with Karen Mallozzi
- Wednesday, August 3rd: Seed saving with Gretel Anspach
In addition, the BFL is offering two special in-person kids’ gardening programs:
- Friday, June 17th at 10am: Let’s get growing with Tower Hill Botanical Garden
- Wednesday, July 20th at 10am: Container gardens with Tower Hill Botanical Garden
March 3 | 3pm | Virtual | Bacon Free Library
Growing from Seed: Growing plants from seed can be both fun and challenging. 
Gretel Anspach from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society will review the timeline for starting vegetable and ornamental plants, as well as review the materials and supplies you will need to grow from seed.
Gretel Anspach is a Trustee of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, a Lifetime Master Gardener with the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association, and a recently-retired systems engineer for Raytheon. She won the MMGA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Gretel established and maintains a 20,000 square foot food production garden that has provided fresh produce to the Marlboro and Maynard Food Pantries for the last ten years. Her primary interest and focus is always in the science behind horticulture.
Signup: Bacon Free Library
March 9 | 2pm | Virtual | Morse Institute Library
Lifecycle of Seeds: Blackstone Valley Veggie Gardens will teach us all about sowing, harvesting, and storing seeds. 
Learn about the different types of seed starting, which seeds to harvest, and how to store them to add to your sustainable life!
The mission of Blackstone Valley Veggie Gardens is to inspire others to grow their own fresh produce. They deliver residential and community based training, consulting, and assistance in vegetable garden development. They are dedicated to the belief that people should have the knowledge and opportunity to grow wholesome fruits and veggies in containers, raised beds, or in-ground gardens.
Signup: Morse Institute
March 23 | 6:30 pm | Virtual | Natick Gardens Program
Preparing the Soil for Gardening: The quality and make-up of your soil has a huge influence on how well your plants will do. 
Unlike sunlight, air, and water (the other 3 requirements), you can’t tell whether your soils are right for your plants by looking at your soil or even by looking at your plants. Learn about soil structure, compaction, fertility, and pH, as well as strategies to modify these qualities for a more successful garden.
Gretel Anspach is a Trustee of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, a Lifetime Master Gardener with the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association, and a recently-retired systems engineer for Raytheon. She won the MMGA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Gretel established and maintains a 20,000 square foot food production garden that has provided fresh produce to the Marlboro and Maynard Food Pantries for the last ten years. Her primary interest and focus is always in the science behind horticulture.
Signup: Community Pass
April 7 | 6:30 pm | Virtual | Morse Institute Library
Companion Planting & Design: Location, location, location… Some plants just naturally grow better next to others, and well, some don’t. 
Here’s where you can learn what keeps the peace in your garden.
Speaker: TBD
Signup: TBD
April 21 | 6:30 pm | Virtual | Natick Gardens Program
TBO (Try to be Organic) Gardening: This presentation shows how to successfully grow a garden with minimum impact to the environment. It encourages growers to be responsible in their choices. 
Basic plant requirements, how to satisfy them, and plant selection are discussed, as are garden planning and timelines. The goal is to develop a proactive approach to eliminate unnecessary work, which will allow more time to enjoy the garden by less watering, feeding, and weeding.
Tony Bonanno has been a Massachusetts Master Gardener since 2007. He designed, built, and oversees the Victory Gardens at the Veterans Community Health Care Center in Lowell and is the horticulture leader for the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Concord’s Outreach Organization, teaching and running a volunteer program at the facility’s farm. Tony also chairs the Topsfield Fair Home Garden committee and is a Certified Massachusetts State Fair Judge. An accomplished vegetable grower, he was named a Top Vegetable Exhibitor at the 2017 and 2019 Topsfield Fairs.
Signup: Community Pass
May 12 | 6:30 pm | Virtual | Gardens Program
Growing and Donating Produce: Providing fresh produce is an essential part of helping families who deal with food insecurity. 
As you can imagine, there is a little more to it than just sharing your extra zucchini. For example, which fruit and vegetable varieties are the most culturally appropriate for the people in your community? Learn how your gardening efforts can turn into nutritious bounty for others.
Backyard Growers: Alison is Backyard Grower’s Executive Director and a sustainable and strategic nonprofit and business expert with over a decade of experience in food systems and small-scale agriculture.
Signup: Community Pass
May 26 | 6:30 pm | Virtual | Morse Institute Library
Tomato Growing: Without question, tomatoes are the number one home garden crop. We will teach you the best ways to maximize your harvest. 
Speaker: TBD
Signup: TBD
June 2 | 6:30 pm | Virtual | Gardens Program
Metrowest Community Gardens Conference: Come learn about our local area community gardens from coordinators representing Concord, Southborough, and Ashland. 
Learn about their histories, cultures, relationships with their town, organic standards, and techniques.
Signup: Community Pass
June 17 | 10 am | In Person | Bacon Free Library
Let’s Get Growing with Tower Hill Botanical Garden: Explore the wide world of plants as we sing songs, read stories, and investigate and plant our own beans to care for at home.
We will meet outdoors on the grounds of the BFL. This program is best for kids in preschool and kindergarten.
Signup: Bacon Free Library
Registration opens 2 weeks in advance.
June 23 | 6:30 pm | Virtual | Gardens Program
Backyard Composting and our Community Gardens: Karen Mallozzi discusses how Natick’s 
residential composting program with Black Earth Compost can fit into your experience gardening in our Town gardens.
Signup: Community Pass
July 20 | 10 am | In Person | Bacon Free Library
Container Gardens with Tower Hill Botanical Garden: Learn what plants need to survive, decorate a terracotta pot, plant a container garden crop, and start a growing journal. 
All materials are provided (terracotta pots, acrylic paint, soil, seeds). We will meet outdoors on the grounds of the BFL.
This program is best for kids in grades 1-5.
Signup: Bacon Free Library
Registration opens 2 weeks in advance.
August 3 | 6:30 pm | Virtual | Gardens Program
Seed Saving: During this presentation we will talk about the reasons for saving your own seeds and learn some of the basic techniques for ensuring genetic purity. 
We will include discussions about the home garden plants from which seeds can be easily saved and stored for future use.
Gretel Anspach is a Trustee of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, a Lifetime Master Gardener with the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association, and a recently-retired systems engineer for Raytheon. She won the MMGA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Gretel established and maintains a 20,000 square foot food production garden that has provided fresh produce to the Marlboro and Maynard Food Pantries for the last ten years. Her primary interest and focus is always in the science behind horticulture.
Signup: Community Pass
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